We tend to think of tidying up as a burdensome chore that we must get done. But if we look deeper, tidying encompasses much more than just keeping your space clean. It is about getting to know yourself better and discovering what you need and why. Done consciously, it can improve several aspects of your life.

The KonMari method of tidying, created by Marie Kondo, is a minimalistic approach to the objects in your house. To use this method, focus on organizing things category by category. You can start by looking through all your clothes and honestly answering the question — does this thing spark joy? Touch each item and feel the energy coming from it. Does this T-shirt bring out pleasant feelings? Have you worn these pants throughout the last year? After you’ve gone through your closet, move on to other categories: books, papers, sentimental items, and komono (miscellaneous). Get rid of everything that doesn’t spark joy.

Marie Kondo calls this a «tidying festival», the opportunity to transform your surroundings and mindset. By eliminating the clutter from your life, you invite new and positive things into it. She advises setting up a clear deadline for this process, a week or a month. Even though we’re decluttering to make our lives more pleasant, it’s human nature to put things off.

However, you may struggle with discarding some of the items. For instance, organizing a particular category may cause a sort of internal block. These blocks in the tidying process represent blocks in some aspects of your life. Our possessions, relationships, and work are more interconnected than you think. Reflect on your blocks, and you might uncover the feelings you didn’t realize you had.

If tidying starts to overwhelm you, take a break. Remind yourself of your goal – to bring more joy and live more authentically. The act of organizing should make us free to appreciate every day. Contemplating what you wish to keep in your life is the same as considering how you want to live. So it is crucial not to lose sight of the lifestyle you want. We’ll discuss it in the next chapter in more detail.